The "Hot Dig-Kitty-Dog" Blog

Do You Live in a Dog State or a Cat State?

According to an article in realtor.com, there are dog states and there are cat states with 56% of states having at least one.

In general, southern states tend to be more dog-friendly whereas northern states favor cats. All throughout the midwest dogs and cats are equally spread. And then of course some households fancy both. Nationwide, cats outnumber dogs 74 million to 70 million with Massachusetts ranking #1 with cats and Arkansas #1 with dogs.

Not surprising: in 2014, pet owners purchased over $30.4 billion on items specifically for their beloved furry friends.

Help Shelter Pets Himalayancat card sold in The Card Shop

Have Pet Will Travel....Or Not

So you're going on vacation. Great! But you have a dog or a cat or both or more than one of each. What do you do? Do you bring him, her, or them along with you? More often than not, the best solution for your pet(s) is to leave them at home (with a sitter or a relative). They are most comfortable in familiar surroundings, even though they will most likely miss you, too.

If you decide to board them in a kennel, check the references and inspect the kennel before you leave your pet. Ask your veterinarian or a local shelter for references. If you hire a pet sitter again you should check references, preferably from people you know who have used the sitter before. They are also the best people to talk to about a reputable pet sitter.

If you do leave your pet with a sitter or a kennel, make sure you leave them your contact information, the phone number of your veterinarian, inform them of any dietary restrictions or medication your pet needs. And be sure your pet is comfortable with the person you've chosen to leave them with before you go off for a week or two.

If you do decide to bring your pet along (cats, by the way, don't enjoy change so bringing them along is not a good idea) be sure to bring health certificates and other medical records you may need to show when traveling with your pet, especially overseas. And do not fly with your pet if the only way they can fly is in the cargo hold of a plane - this can be a dangerous and stressful situation for your pet.

Help Shelter Pets Shetland Sheepdogcard sold in The Card Shop

Cat Receives Hero "Dog" Award

If you've been on Facebook or YouTube in the past year you would have seen the cat who attacked a dog who was attacking her 6-year old owner. The dog, who lived next door, grabbed autistic Jeremy and was shaking his leg when Tara, the brave cat, body slammed the chow-mix and chased him back to his home.

The SPCA of Los Angeles decided that this cat should be rewarded for its heroics and awarded it the National Dog Hero award, with just one change to the trophy. The word 'dog' was changed to 'cat'.

Help Shelter Pets Maine Cooncat card sold in The Card Shop

Prime Cuts of Dog or Cat Meat - Legal in 44 U.S. States!

Here in the U.S. we like to condemn China and Korea for eating dog and cat meat. But did you know that dog and cat meat is legal to eat in 44 U.S. states? That's right, only Michigan, Virginia, California, Hawaii, New York, and Georgia specifically prohibit the consumption of dogs and cats.

You may wonder why it isn't a law in more states. Well, mostly because it isn't a wide-spread problem. For the majority of people, their dog or cat is a family pet, certainly not something they consider raising to later eat as food.

Some claim that here in the U.S. puppy mills are breeding dogs for human consumption. It is time for the federal government to clarify animal cruelty laws to explicitly ban the killing and consumption of domestic animals.

Too Much Peeing

When Sammy, our first Pomeranian, was getting older, she would sometimes get confused and pee wherever she happened to be standing. That was often on our living room carpet. After she passed away, the carpet was beyond even a professional cleaning so we decided to have it removed and replaced with bamboo laminate.

We knew her inability to control her bladder was because of her age. If your dog or cat is urinating in inappropriate places and too often, it could be a sign of a medical condition. For example, urinary tract infections could be one cause of frequent urinating. Diabetes and liver disease can cause more frequent drinking and urinating.

You should rule out medical problems first before treating your dog or cat for behavioral problems. Both dogs and cats urinate to mark their territory, in particular unneutered males. Cats may urinate outside their box if the litter or the location and size of the box are not to their liking. Or they may not use the box if it needs to be cleaned.

Dogs that have not been properly trained will urinate in the home. But even properly trained dogs will urinate in the home if left alone too long with no place to urinate. Also, dogs who are stressed due to loud noises (like fireworks) may urinate. Be sure to check with your vet before administering any type of sedative and check for any medical problem that might be the cause of inappropriate urinating.